Rally tonight for proposed program to 'green' 1 million homes in NYS

A coalition of business leaders, environmentalists and community advocates are pushing the state to create a new program to retrofit 1 million environmentally-inefficient homes over the next five years.

"Green Jobs/Green Homes New York" would help residents upgrade their homes to be more "green" without spending any money up front. Instead, homeowners would repay the costs of repairs over 10 years, from money they save on their utility bills.

For instance: If a homeowner saves a total of $100 a month, say, from installing new windows and insulation, the person would keep $20 of the savings, while the remaining $80 would go to repay their construction debt. The money would enter a rotating fund that would pay for other homeowners' repairs.

The program would create 60,000 green jobs, advocates said.

Representatives from more than 20 organizations will come together tonight to discuss the proposal. The local town hall forum starts 5:30 p.m. tonight at the University United Methodist Church at 1085 E. Genesee St., Syracuse.